Preview — Thunderstruck
by Erik Larson

Thunderstruck

A true story of love, murder, and the end of the world s great hush In "Thunderstruck," Erik Larson tells the interwoven stories of two men Hawley Crippen, a very unlikely murderer, and Guglielmo Marconi, the obsessive creator of a seemingly supernatural means of communication whose lives intersect during one of the greatest criminal chases of all time. Set in Edwardian LoA true story of love, murder, and the end of the world s great hush In "Thunderstruck," Erik Larson tells the interwoven stories of two men Hawley Crippen, a very unlikely murderer, and Guglielmo Marconi, the obsessive creator of a seemingly supernatural means of communication whose lives intersect during one of the greatest criminal chases of all time. Set in Edwardian London and on the stormy coasts of Cornwall, Cape Cod, and Nova Scotia, "Thunderstruck" evokes the dynamism of those years when great shipping companies competed to build the biggest, fastest ocean liners, scientific advances dazzled the public with visions of a world transformed, and the rich outdid one another with ostentatious displays of wealth. Against this background, Marconi races against incredible odds and relentless skepticism to perfect his invention: the wireless, a prime catalyst for the emergence of the world we know today. Meanwhile, Crippen, the kindest of men, nearly commits the perfect crime. With his superb narrative skills, Erik Larson guides these parallel narratives toward a relentlessly suspenseful meeting on the waters of the North Atlantic. Along the way, he tells of a sad and tragic love affair that was described on the front pages of newspapers around the world, a chief inspector who found himself strangely sympathetic to the killer and his lover, and a driven and compelling inventor who transformed the way we communicate. "Thunderstruck" presents a vibrant portrait of an era of seances, science, and fog, inhabited by inventors, magicians, and Scotland Yard detectives, all presided over by the amiable and fun-loving Edward VII as the world slid inevitably toward the first great war of the twentieth century. Gripping from the first page, and rich with fascinating detail about the time, the people, and the new inventions that connect and divide us, "Thunderstruck" is splendid narrative history from a master of the form. "From the Hardcover edition.""...more

Community Reviews

First off, while this is an interesting and engaging story, it is not the top-notch book that Devil in the White City was. Here, Larson tells parallel tales of Guglielmo Marconi, inventor of the wireless, and Hawley Crippen, a relative nobody who gained infamy by doing away with his wife. Where they intersect is when the new-fangled wireless machine is used to track the fleeing killer and his mistress as they cross the Atlantic in a passenger liner. Larson is excellent at imparting a sense of aFirst off, while this is an interesting and engaging story, it is not the top-notch book that Devil in the White City was. Here, Larson tells parallel tales of Guglielmo Marconi, inventor of the wireless, and Hawley Crippen, a relative nobody who gained infamy by doing away with his wife. Where they intersect is when the new-fangled wireless machine is used to track the fleeing killer and his mistress as they cross the Atlantic in a passenger liner. Larson is excellent at imparting a sense of a time, 1910 in London, and various locations in Europe and North America. He offers much information about Marconi as a person, a scientist, a suitor, husband and father, and a businessman. While Marconi’s name may stand out to us today through the foggy details of history, there were several other individuals whose scientific investigations were also critical to the development of wireless communication. The politics, and the legal and business scheming that went into the wireless, make for a fun read. But, while Crippen and his pursuit by Scotland Yard may have represented the 1910 predecessor to helicopters trailing the white Bronco, Crippen seems such a minor presence as to stand out purely as literary device by which Larson can tell us about the time.

Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed the book. Larson is a gifted writer and he clearly takes delight in presenting us with a smorgasbord of details of the day. You will learn things you did not know before. There is considerable visual imagery that makes one yearn for a skilled film director to be on call. It is only when comparing it to Devil in the White City that it…um… pales. ...more

I enjoyed parts of Thunderstruck and really had to force myself through others. The chapters about Marconi were often boring and too technical for my non-scientific mind. Larson sort of expects his reader to already understand certain elements of how radio waves works, which I don't. However, when Larson wasn't droning on about building towers and antennae, Marconi's story still captured my attention. (I'm sure more scientific minded people would enjoy the aspects that I didn't.)

In the end, I eI enjoyed parts of Thunderstruck and really had to force myself through others. The chapters about Marconi were often boring and too technical for my non-scientific mind. Larson sort of expects his reader to already understand certain elements of how radio waves works, which I don't. However, when Larson wasn't droning on about building towers and antennae, Marconi's story still captured my attention. (I'm sure more scientific minded people would enjoy the aspects that I didn't.)

In the end, I ended up quite disliking Marconi. I find it interesting when we have images of historical figures in our heads, and then we find that the image and the reality don't match up. I have a tendency to forget the humanity of such people. Marconi, as is sometimes the case, has the brilliant mind, but lacks the social astuteness necessary for having a happy and truly successful life, no matter what invention/discovery he has made for society: He took credit for many things which others had truly done and delved himself completely in his work without regard for his family or others around him.

As far as Crippen, Elmore, and Le Neve are concerned, the half of the book dedicated to their story fascinated me. Larson weaves in little tidbits of life at the turn of the century, creating a close to complete vision of the time. When I got to the parts about the discovery of the murder, I did skim some pages, I will admit. I couldn't fathom, as those who knew him, how Crippen could have committed such a crime because he was so mild and kind.

The last 80 or so pages were absolutely the best--the chase. I have to say that my very favorite person in the novel was Captain Kendall. Unfortunately, he is not in the novel as much as I would like, but he is the smartest and most daring person we meet. I loved (loved isn't a strong enough word; I finished the book one night and woke up talking about this part the next morning) that the whole world knew what was happening except for the unsuspecting Crippen and Le Neve. Mostly because the story is true, this is the most magnificent irony any story could produce. I laugh a little at the perfectness of it all. ...more

In classic Erik Larson style, Thunderstruck is told through parallel lives and events. In this case, more so than in The Devil in the White City, it's not immediately evident how the elements will come to intertwine.

Guglielmo Marconi (below) was smart, contributed to society in the end, blah, blah, blah, but he was also kind of a jerk (that's my opinion, not expressly stated in the book). Larson chalks it up to a lack of social skills, which may be true, but it doesn't mean I have to forgive hIn classic Erik Larson style, Thunderstruck is told through parallel lives and events. In this case, more so than in The Devil in the White City, it's not immediately evident how the elements will come to intertwine.

Guglielmo Marconi (below) was smart, contributed to society in the end, blah, blah, blah, but he was also kind of a jerk (that's my opinion, not expressly stated in the book). Larson chalks it up to a lack of social skills, which may be true, but it doesn't mean I have to forgive him for it.

It would still be a few more decades before Robert Merton would outline his "norms" of modern science, but in the face of a spiritualism frenzy, "real" scientists were trying to distinguish the components of, well, "good" science. Marconi (an entrepreneur, more so than he was a scientist, which he, ironically, noted in his acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize in Physics) was not on board with key components of this like communality and letting skeptics in on the experiments.

On the other side of town (or the ocean, depending on the day), our second story line involves a homeopath, an aspiring actress/singer (lacking in the skill department - think American Idol outtakes), and, of course, a mistress.

If Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen were a woman and/or late 19th-century jurists had access to the Law & Order franchise, we might think his was a case of battered wife syndrome (in these PC days, "battered person syndrome"). I feel like just looking at the pictures of Crippen (above) and his wife,Corrine "Cora" Turner/Belle Elmore (below) you might get a sense of what a truly terrible match theirs was.

The details of how this all plays out are intriguing, and involve plenty of deceit, betrayal and a dash of 19th century detectivery and forensic science.

Skipping ahead, the story lines converge when Dr. Crippen and his mistress, Ethel Le Neve (below), take to the seas- in this instance, dressed as father and son. (Le Neve really should have seen bad things coming at this point, being asked by your lover to dress as a little boy should always be a deal-breaker!)

Without giving away too much, the SS Montrose essentially becomes the "white Bronco" of this whole affair, and (here comes the Marconi tie in), thanks to the advances in science, this was basically the first instance of live tweeting the hunt for a murderer on the run. The public appetite for this type of thing, it would seem, has always been high- so this was pretty much the best publicity Marconi could have ever hoped for.

I would give this more stars if it weren't Larson, who I know can (and does) do better. It's worth reading, I just wouldn't put it up there with his more recent books.

The Author's Note says that the murder case in this book so captivated Alfred Hitchcock that he worked elements of it into Rear Window (and The Rope). Rear Window is probably my favorite movie of all time, so I had to find out which elements he was referring to. This is why I wanted to read this book and have had a copy for a couple of years now.

Larson incorporates via alternating chapters the story of Marconi's creation of the telegraph, and therein lies my excuse for NOT wanting to read this bThe Author's Note says that the murder case in this book so captivated Alfred Hitchcock that he worked elements of it into Rear Window (and The Rope). Rear Window is probably my favorite movie of all time, so I had to find out which elements he was referring to. This is why I wanted to read this book and have had a copy for a couple of years now.

Larson incorporates via alternating chapters the story of Marconi's creation of the telegraph, and therein lies my excuse for NOT wanting to read this book despite buying it on sale. I know how this author so thoroughly researches everything to the point where you almost want to say TMI, Erik. Or zzzzzz. In the same Author's Note mentioned above, he also says, "I ask readers to forgive my passion for digression. If, for example, you learn more than you need to know about a certain piece of flesh, I apologize in advance, though I confess I make that apology only halfheartedly." (This made me smile; is that 1/2 apology, 1/2 F you?)

Honestly, I didn't mind the flesh pieces at all. But if I got bored of long-winded descriptions of wireless transmissions affected by sunlight or by fog or the lack thereof, I simply swallowed hard and remembered the author's words. He really cannot help himself. l as a reader of his books know by now that you take the good with the bad and you inevitably come out of the experience so much more the wiser and more knowledgeable. And I'm sure there are readers who prefer the Marconi chapters over the murder investigation, so something for everyone....more

There's a certain style of storytelling which I have an affinity for, both in terms of telling stories myself and listening to them (or reading them). The style, in a word, would be called "digressive". I know this style doesn't work for everyone, but it works for me. I like talking about or hearing about the little things that don't necessarily advance the plot or aren't crucial to understanding the point of something. As long as the digressions are interesting in and of themselves, I think theThere's a certain style of storytelling which I have an affinity for, both in terms of telling stories myself and listening to them (or reading them). The style, in a word, would be called "digressive". I know this style doesn't work for everyone, but it works for me. I like talking about or hearing about the little things that don't necessarily advance the plot or aren't crucial to understanding the point of something. As long as the digressions are interesting in and of themselves, I think they have a corresponding value.

Thunderstruck really brought this point home for me. I enjoyed the book a lot, but I was well aware that it was full of digressions. (This fact was hard to miss - Larson acknowledges it and half-apologizes for it in the introduction to the book.) But, the digressions were interesting.

In keeping with my suddenly burgeoning interest in historical non-fiction, I picked this book up because I thought a story about the invention and spread of wireless telegraphy would be interesting. Especially when that tale intersects, coincidentally, with a bizarre murder case. And my thought proved correct - it is a fascinating story. But it's a thin one, too, so Larson fleshes things out with numerous asides, digressions, tangents and trivia. And I eat that up with a spoon (it doesn't hurt that Larson is a fine writer, too). I just have to admit that while I thought it was the best way to tell the intertwined stories of a murderer's escape and the dawning of a new industry, other people might not have the same patience for it. You've been warned....more

Unfortunately, I was so weighed down in details of Marconi and his electrical engineering project, I could barely keep my head above water. There was simply too much detail when describing Marconi's work towards engineering wireless. Although an electrical engineer or any person interested in early cThis one turned out to be a bit of a disappointment for me. I loved The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America and was expecting something similar here.

Unfortunately, I was so weighed down in details of Marconi and his electrical engineering project, I could barely keep my head above water. There was simply too much detail when describing Marconi's work towards engineering wireless. Although an electrical engineer or any person interested in early communication methods might find this one engaging, it was too much for me.

Thunderstruck, by Erik Larson is a non fiction account of the infamous murder of Belle Elmore by her husband, Hawley Crippen, and the story of Guglielmo Marconi,the inventor of wireless telegraphy. The story of both men was riveting. Marconi was obsessive about his work, probably had Aspergers syndrome. He battles it out with competitors over patents and rights. It was like a soap opera sometimes, all the accusations, and back biting. The details behind the invention was also very interesting. TThunderstruck, by Erik Larson is a non fiction account of the infamous murder of Belle Elmore by her husband, Hawley Crippen, and the story of Guglielmo Marconi,the inventor of wireless telegraphy. The story of both men was riveting. Marconi was obsessive about his work, probably had Aspergers syndrome. He battles it out with competitors over patents and rights. It was like a soap opera sometimes, all the accusations, and back biting. The details behind the invention was also very interesting. This man dedicated his life to his work, but it was a crime and the role his invention played in the apprehension of Hawley that really put his invention on the map.Crippen, was an unassuming man. He married a rather flamboyant woman, that eventually drove him to commit an unspeakable crime. Crippen leads Scotland Yard on a history making chase through the ocean. Crippen was described as being "kind hearted" . The last person one would expect to commit murder. But, man, this guy was one cool customer all the way to the bitter end.I am not a big fan of non-fiction history, because while it can be interesting, it is usually very dry. I am a huge fan of historical fiction, however. But, my son gave me this book for my birthday a few years ago, and it finally made it to the top of my TBR list. I had read "The Devil and the White City several years back , after reading the stellar reviews, so I was really looking forward to this one. Larson's style is to write a few chapters about the invention and those involved with that, then he switched to the Crippen and what was happening with him. The suspense builds up as we see the struggles of each man and those involved with them, and as we see the two stories come together. Larson's books read like a novel making history seem very interesting and anything but dry. ...more

Where I got the book: purchased from my local indie bookstore at an author event*. Signed with a funny drawing!

Like The Devil in the White City, Thunderstruck tells two stories that have a meeting point. In this case, it's the (at the time) notorious case of Dr. Crippen, who murdered his wife, embraced by the larger story of the development of the wireless telegraph. It was wireless that enabled the British police to catch Crippen and his lover Ethel Le Neve, who were on a ship bound for Canada-Where I got the book: purchased from my local indie bookstore at an author event*. Signed with a funny drawing!

Like The Devil in the White City, Thunderstruck tells two stories that have a meeting point. In this case, it's the (at the time) notorious case of Dr. Crippen, who murdered his wife, embraced by the larger story of the development of the wireless telegraph. It was wireless that enabled the British police to catch Crippen and his lover Ethel Le Neve, who were on a ship bound for Canada--Crippen knew by this time that they were fugitives from the law, but Le Neve probably didn't. And neither of them, apparently, knew that they had been spotted early in the voyage by the ship's captain, and that the world's press had picked up on the sensation and had newspaper readers on the edge of their chairs waiting to see if they would be captured.

The story of wireless centers on Guglielmo Marconi, who, although no scientist, was the first to put the emerging theories of wireless transmission to practical use, succeeding by a process of trial and error in stretching the distance over which wireless could be used until he was able to send messages over the Atlantic with a certain degree of success. It's a pretty good tale of industrial rivalry, piracy and sour grapes, and a man with an obsession--nowadays we'd probably diagnose Marconi with Asperger's, given his ability to subjugate everything, even his personal life, to his mania for his subject. And yet Marconi is a businessman, always intending to make money out of wireless, a sharp contrast to the scientists who seem to regard their experiments as a sort of amateur gentleman's pursuit and are furious with the Italian-Irish upstart for actually daring to cash in on them. It's a portrait of a world waking up to the power of technology as an essential weapon in the furtherance of business, the early days of the age where inventions, supported by business cash, began to succeed each other with increasing speed--we're still somewhere in the middle of that age, and heaven knows where it's all going to end up.

Of course the most human story is that of Crippen, the shy and retiring purveyor of homeopathic medicines who ends up married to a loud, exuberant, wannabe actress who henpecks him and spends all of his money. It's a story of the worm that turns, and you can take your pick whether his mild exterior hid the soul of a psychopath or whether he just--snapped.

Larson is a darn good storyteller, and although I felt my attention flagging just a little in the middle of the book, on the whole I found both tales entertaining. The last hundred or so pages, covering the murder and the chase, were riveting. Fifty pages of notes, bibliography and index ensure that this work of popular history can also stay on the bookshelf as a reference work, always a plus. I'd recommend Thunderstruck to readers who like a good true-life yarn.

*If you ever get the chance to hear Larson speak, take it. He's very entertaining....more

This is a book about the invention of wireless telegraphy. As if he knew this wasn’t the sexiest of topics, author Erik Larson includes a murder mystery alongside it, creating a fun little two-for-the-price-of-one non-fiction treat. He lures you in with relationship drama and then works in the science. So sneaky! And once the two distinct stories come together, so delicious.

I can see how some readers would be less than enthused about the more technical details of Marconi’s science experiments, bThis is a book about the invention of wireless telegraphy. As if he knew this wasn’t the sexiest of topics, author Erik Larson includes a murder mystery alongside it, creating a fun little two-for-the-price-of-one non-fiction treat. He lures you in with relationship drama and then works in the science. So sneaky! And once the two distinct stories come together, so delicious.

I can see how some readers would be less than enthused about the more technical details of Marconi’s science experiments, but I live with an engineer, so I have developed a pretty high tolerance for tech speak. I actually find it relaxing to let unfamiliar phrases and concepts drift past--it’s not like I’m expected to chime in with meaningful feedback or opinions. I just nod encouragingly from time to time and let it all wash over me. So yeah, the experience of listening to this audio book was, for me, both familiar and comfortable.

And the story of the demure, unassuming patent medicine salesman Crippen and his voluptuous, volatile wife is a fascinating one, more than enough to keep the engine humming. I didn’t entirely buy into Larson’s incredulity that a man perceived as so gentle could be capable of murder. I must be a cynic--of course the quiet, retiring guy was eventually going to snap! Still, the chase towards the end of the book is surprisingly suspenseful, considering by today’s standards it unfolded at a snail’s pace.

In his typical style Erik Larson tells two parallel interwoven stories. The first is the story of Guglielmo Marconi, inventor of the wireless. The second is the story of Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen, homeopathic doctor and one of the most notorious murderers in British history. The link? Dr. Crippen was the first suspect to be captured with the aid of wireless telegraphy.

I know that Marconi was a pioneer in wireless telegraphy. In this book I learned a lot about the man. From Larson's narrative itIn his typical style Erik Larson tells two parallel interwoven stories. The first is the story of Guglielmo Marconi, inventor of the wireless. The second is the story of Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen, homeopathic doctor and one of the most notorious murderers in British history. The link? Dr. Crippen was the first suspect to be captured with the aid of wireless telegraphy.

I know that Marconi was a pioneer in wireless telegraphy. In this book I learned a lot about the man. From Larson's narrative it would appear that he was very driven and dedicated to his work. A "Type A" personality. While he must have been very intelligent it does not sound like he was good "people person". Not with the people he dealt with on a professional basis and not with women in his life. The story of Marconi and the development of wireless telegraphy was interesting. Not page turning, can't put the book down reading but rather interesting from a historical perspective. Certainly not as interesting as the story of Dr. Crippen.

Hawley Harvey Crippen was a doctor in homeopathic medicine. By all descriptions he was mild and kind. Short in stature, wore eye glasses, and thinning hair. The last person anyone would suspect of being a murderer. His wife, Cora, was a rather large woman who was demanding and openly told Crippen about the affairs she had. After a party at their home on January 31, 1910 Cora disappeared. The story is well known. Scotland Yard began to investigate Cora's disappearance, Crippen booked passage on a ship to Quebec with a typist from his office, a body was found in the basement of Crippen's home, an inspector from Scotland Yard booked passage on another ship to Quebec setting off a race across the Atlantic hoping to arrive first and arrest Crippen. While Crippen and Ethel Le Neve, the young typist, were enjoying their eleven day cruise wireless messages were busily describing their every move. What they ate, what they read, their conversations at the captain's table and with other officers of the ship. Crippen and Le Neve were the subject of people on both sides of the Atlantic and they were oblivious. Reading the story of Crippen reminded me of something out of a Alfred Hitchcock story. The mild, meek little man married to the large and domineering wife until he can't take it anymore and does her in. It wasn't until the end of the book that I read that he indeed used this event as a basis for several of his movies and television series.

I have found Erik Larson's books to be very enjoyable. His books are non-fiction about historical events but his writing style is more like historical fiction and therefore very readable. Thunderstruck was one of my favorites by this author. ...more

Well, he's gone and done it again! Another brilliant, engrossing true-life novel, completely with two independent yet seamlessly interwoven story lines that he manages to treat equitably through and through.

This book is a compelling journey of one man into the annals of scientific history (Marconi) and another into the depths of criminality (Crippen). The stories tie together in the end, during Crippen's capture.

Neither story can be said to be particularly happy: Both men were irredeemably flaweWell, he's gone and done it again! Another brilliant, engrossing true-life novel, completely with two independent yet seamlessly interwoven story lines that he manages to treat equitably through and through.

This book is a compelling journey of one man into the annals of scientific history (Marconi) and another into the depths of criminality (Crippen). The stories tie together in the end, during Crippen's capture.

Neither story can be said to be particularly happy: Both men were irredeemably flawed in many ways and though Marconi chose to channel his discontent through science, his family suffered the ill-effects.

Crippen, on the other hand, was plagued by his family - his wife in particular, but professionally he was a well-respected doctor and neighbor.

This book is about balance (or lack thereof) in peoples' lives, their obsessions and loves that drive them sometimes beyond the brink - and if not into total madness, then close enough to do real damage to themselves and those they love.

It's an excellent read for any student of human nature, and the complicated relationships that are affected by it.

The only minor quibble I have is the subplot about the supernatural. It revolved around a man named Lodge who was a peer of Marconi's: Indeed, he may have actually beaten Marconi to the punch had it not been for his 'otherwordly' obsession. Yet, he was such a minor character for the most part that the subplot seems to offer distraction rather than insight. It does help somewhat to explain the rivalry between the two, but the elaboration seemed unecessary when maybe a paragraph would have done.

Other than that, an excellent, evenly-paced read that I managed to down in about 36 hours, all told. ...more

After reading Devil in the White City (one of my favorite books of all time), I was very excited to read this book. I ended up disappointed. I really had to force my way through this book. There was too much about the invention and not enough about the murder. Devil in the White City was much more balanced. Although maybe it just felt that way because the world's fair chapters were just as interesting as the serial killer chapters.

Erik Larson is a great writer. I enjoy how he ties a famous evenAfter reading Devil in the White City (one of my favorite books of all time), I was very excited to read this book. I ended up disappointed. I really had to force my way through this book. There was too much about the invention and not enough about the murder. Devil in the White City was much more balanced. Although maybe it just felt that way because the world's fair chapters were just as interesting as the serial killer chapters.

Erik Larson is a great writer. I enjoy how he ties a famous event to a tale of murder that was going on at the same time. I n Thunderstruck, I just didn't enjoy the chapters about Marconi. The chapters on Crippen were fantastic, but went much too fast and were too short....more

Erik Larson has done it again. His new "Thunderstruck" is another of his works that ties together separate narratives into a compelling story. His earlier "Devil in the White City" juxtaposes a serial murderer with the creation of the Chicago Columbian Exposition. The result is powerful.

This book takes a similar tack, juxtaposing Guglielmo Marconi's obsession to master wireless communication with the gentle, quiet Hawley Crippen's murder of his wife. The book begins by discussing the suspicionsErik Larson has done it again. His new "Thunderstruck" is another of his works that ties together separate narratives into a compelling story. His earlier "Devil in the White City" juxtaposes a serial murderer with the creation of the Chicago Columbian Exposition. The result is powerful.

This book takes a similar tack, juxtaposing Guglielmo Marconi's obsession to master wireless communication with the gentle, quiet Hawley Crippen's murder of his wife. The book begins by discussing the suspicions that Captain Henry Kendall had about a "father" and "son," the Robinson's. He suspected that the son was actually a woman. From there on, the book explores (page 5) ". . .the intersection of two wildly disparate stories, whose collision on [Kendall's:] ship in this time, the end of the Edwardian era, would exert influence on the world for the century to come."

For some, the wandering back and forth between the stories of Marconi's quest to master wireless communication and the up and down marriage of Hawley Crippen with Belle Elmore (as she eventually became known) might be confusing and a "turn off." But if the reader stick with the narrative, it will be well worthwhile. Crippen was a homeopath/pharmacist, who fell in love with an earthy, larger than life figure. Their marriage deteriorated over time, as Belle's expensive tastes often overwhelmed Crippen's resources; she was also a faithless wife. Nonetheless, they continued to live as husband and wife.

While Crippen's life moved on, Marconi, as a young man, took some experimental results from scientists like Oliver Lodge and began tinkering, in order to create a profitable wireless communication technology. The book nicely displays Marconi's trial and error approach to making a successful commercial venture emerge from his experimentation. Eventually, he is able to send messages from one side of the Atlantic to the other. Controversy ensued for credit over the technology; competitors rose to try to seize the commercial initiative.

In the meantime, Crippen's marriage continues on, until he meets a young woman for whom he cares a great deal (with reciprocity this time around). After a series of events, Belle Elmore is murdered and Crippen and Ethel, his new woman friend, flee England. After some time on the continent, they go, in disguise, via trans-Atlantic steamship, toward the New World. Scotland Yard discovers this when Captain Kendall, using ship to shore Marconi technology, informs them that he believes the fleeing duo is on board. From there on, Marconi's technology dooms the fleeing pair, as the world knows all about the chase between Scotland Yard and the two fugitives. In one extremely ironic moment, while aboard the ship and not knowing that the chase is being reported throughout the world as a result of wireless communication from the ship, Crippen looks up at the wireless antenna, listens to the electronic crackle and says to Captain Kendall (page 350): "What a wonderful invention it is!" All the while, he has no idea that that invention is routinely transmitting the progress of the ship and Scotland Yard's stalking of Crippen.

All in all, a nice companion piece to his earlier work. Some readers may be turned off by the pairing of the two story lines. However, the result appears to this reviewer to work about as well as in "Devil in the White City." ...more

I am waffling between three and four stars on this book. I haven’t read Devil in the White City, but I did read Garden of Beasts, and it doesn’t even quite stack up to that. It took a very long time to get into. The first half of the book wasn’t random information per se, because it still centered around Marconi and Crippen, but it really had nothing to do with the story that would eventually unfold. I suppose that we needed to know that Crippen had a younger, estranged son, that lived in CaliI am waffling between three and four stars on this book. I haven’t read Devil in the White City, but I did read Garden of Beasts, and it doesn’t even quite stack up to that. It took a very long time to get into. The first half of the book wasn’t random information per se, because it still centered around Marconi and Crippen, but it really had nothing to do with the story that would eventually unfold. I suppose that we needed to know that Crippen had a younger, estranged son, that lived in California, because it came into play later, but the early years really didn’t need to take up a quarter of the book.

Then, at about the half way mark, after not listening to the audiobook for a month or two, I got interested. Really interested. Well, interested at least about the Crippen story. I didn’t care for Marconi, he just kind of annoyed me. I don’t want to say that I didn’t find his story engaging, but the parts that I wanted to know more about didn't involve Marconi, it was about the jilted and angry scientists around him. One of the most fascinating tidbits in this story was learning about the scientist who, in constant pursuit of paranormal activity, wrote a book after WWI about contacting the dead sons of Europe. It was a heartbreaking side story. Marconi himself was too dedicated and immersed in his work, and too headstrong, to be really interesting on his own.

The Crippen story, on the other hand, was fascinating too me. I am always curious about the way that crimes were “solved” in the past, it always seems so ludicrous from a modern day perspective. Crippen was such a frail sallow man, but he held my attention, and I was stressed when his chapters were interrupted, inevitably stopping at a cliffhanger (I see what you did there Larson). I found him sympathetic, I found Belle’s audacity shocking, over all, it was their story that kept me reading....more

adding a little more - with his nonfiction as fiction style the author has a very distinctive voice in the book world and I read a lot from a few of his novels, though I fully finished only In the Garden of the Beasts until this one - I expect that to change as the recent Lusitania book is also superb and I want to read the Chicago fair one before I go to the Milan Expo in July

this one was perfect reading on the plane back from Italvery interesting - reads like fiction and compelling from page 1

adding a little more - with his nonfiction as fiction style the author has a very distinctive voice in the book world and I read a lot from a few of his novels, though I fully finished only In the Garden of the Beasts until this one - I expect that to change as the recent Lusitania book is also superb and I want to read the Chicago fair one before I go to the Milan Expo in July

this one was perfect reading on the plane back from Italy as it features prominently G. Marconi and his invention of wireless telegraphy (which led to radio and tv) and for which he was awarded the Nobel prize in physics despite having very little formal education (from a well off British/Italian family as his Italian father had a business and estates, while his British mother was from a well connected and rich family too, though as a protestant she hated the catholic school system in Italy so she had Guglielmo mostly privately educated in a fairly erratic way - he spoke perfect English and was the "little Englishman" in Italy and the "darkly skinned, suspicious" foreigner in the UK as physically he took after his father, while intellectually after his mother...) - he also was the forerunner of the current rich tech kids like Zuckerberg as he was worth millions (billions in today's money) by age 23 from his invention

his story intertwines with the one of (in)famous Dr. Crippen and that one is quite interesting and well written too

With incredible deftness, Larson weaves together the stories of an Italian scientist and inventor and a British hack physician and hapless lover. The setting is Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a time that saw Edwardian indulgences and a fascination with mysticism and magic dissolving before the advances in science, technology, and the inevitable march toward the first World War.

This book is a lesson in history, an examination of the business and politics of technology and inveWith incredible deftness, Larson weaves together the stories of an Italian scientist and inventor and a British hack physician and hapless lover. The setting is Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a time that saw Edwardian indulgences and a fascination with mysticism and magic dissolving before the advances in science, technology, and the inevitable march toward the first World War.

This book is a lesson in history, an examination of the business and politics of technology and invention, a murder mystery, and an immensely satisfying thriller. That it is a true story - or a tapestry of true events- makes it all the more gripping. An outstanding read. ...more

Thunderstruck, written by Erik Larson, tells the story of two men--Hawley Crippen, a hopeless romantic who falls in love with a woman that craves the thrill of trouble; and Guglielmo Marconi, a scientist researching means of communication who strays away from normality and attempts methods pertaining to the supernatural. This book is set in a seemingly large ship, the S.S. Montrose in 1910, when great shipping companies competed to build the biggest, fastest ocean liners. Racing against time, MaThunderstruck, written by Erik Larson, tells the story of two men--Hawley Crippen, a hopeless romantic who falls in love with a woman that craves the thrill of trouble; and Guglielmo Marconi, a scientist researching means of communication who strays away from normality and attempts methods pertaining to the supernatural. This book is set in a seemingly large ship, the S.S. Montrose in 1910, when great shipping companies competed to build the biggest, fastest ocean liners. Racing against time, Marconi must create a better, more convenient, yet technologically advanced means of communication, even though thousands of other scientist are attempting/researching the same innovation. Marconi does everything he can to increase progress on his research and soon to be invention while working in fear that his life’s work may be taken away from him at moment, a fear that would soon destroy him and others around him. Thunderstruck portrays an unparalleled conflict of a nearly perfect murder, an endless love and an innovation that has made up our today, which flips our daily views of communication up-side-down.

In Thunderstruck, Erik Larson tells the story of Hawley Crippen, a very unlikely murder. The most memorable scene in Larson’s story for me is the moment when Hawley crippen was thunderstruck by love. Crippen hopelessly falls in love with Cora Turner, a young, vivacious woman who comes from a past of eternal sin. Cora lived in an apartment paid for by a man named C.C. Lincoln, but in return, Lincoln received sex and the companionship of a woman who was young and physically striking. Crippen was well aware of Cora’s past, however, that was void because now, Cora was his and she wouldn’t have to do the things she’s done again. This scene reveals Crippen’s personality and interest, he doesn’t care about past but lives in the present but he would soon find himself empty. Cora’s true intentions come out to play when either money, pleasure and/or favorable manipulation is involved.

Ultimately, the story of historical science and communicating supernaturally, Thunderstruck is a story of committing original sin, loving carelessly through sea travel, communicating over the deep seas, and putting one's life to an end forever. It all adds up to a tale of true love and murder, an ironic situation between the hidden similarities of passionate love and infinite hate, which we all should bring to our acknowledgement. Thunderstruck tells that story very emotionally, helping us realize that even though we may be looking for love, we might just find hate along the way, an unfortunate game of hide and seek that we all eventually play, a game that depends on who finds what first; love or hate.

What I took from this book is a lesson on people’s character and that love and hatredco-exist in this world and that it’s up to us to balance between the two. I learned that people aren’t always as they seem at first impressions. Larson first portrayed Marconi as a determined scientist who didn’t mind other’s business but as the story progressed, Marconi’s true colors were revealed, and they weren’t so pleasant. And as for Crippen, let’s just say you’ll be in for a shock.

This book made me feel like I was thirty years-older because of the time setting and historical feel to the book. It felt like Larson was taking me back to the past and showed me a scandalous part of history where the only things to do were to invent, party, kill and have sex. Not so different from today, other than the invention part. And Frankly, Marconi’s story was extremely tedious and probably would only entertain another scientist interested in means of communication. However, Crippen’s adventures were exciting and thrilling, the most interesting parts of the book all involve Crippen and his different personality.

Do I recommend this book? Well, it all depends on your fetishes. If you like history, crime, sex and murder, go for it, but only if you have nothing better to do. You’ll often find yourself bored when you travel with Larson and observe Marconi, however, when it comes to Crippen, you won't be able to put the book down. This story of a true love and murder is full of surprises and misadventures that will almost always succeed to satisfy your historical book fetishes....more

Larson brings his talent for writing a page-turning non-fiction work to bear on the case of Dr H H Crippen, who was fleeing England with his mistress, after being questioned in the disappearance of his wife. An escape that would have been easily made just 5 years previously was foiled by the relatively new advance of the Marconi wireless, with which Scotland Yard detectives could communicate with their counterparts in Canada and the U.S., and with the ship’s captain. The result is that th3.5***

Larson brings his talent for writing a page-turning non-fiction work to bear on the case of Dr H H Crippen, who was fleeing England with his mistress, after being questioned in the disappearance of his wife. An escape that would have been easily made just 5 years previously was foiled by the relatively new advance of the Marconi wireless, with which Scotland Yard detectives could communicate with their counterparts in Canada and the U.S., and with the ship’s captain. The result is that the fugitives really had no place to hide, and Marconi’s wireless system got unprecedented publicity as the wave of the future.

I enjoyed this book, as I have Larson’s earlier works. But he really shines when he focuses on ONE story, as he did in Isaac's Storm. Here he is trying to tell two very different stories – the murderer’s tale (a suspenseful, gruesome story), and the story of how Marconi came to be credited with inventing wireless communication (including the political, financial and personal difficulties). One story has the potential to be really gripping; the other, the potential to be dry. That Larson is able to combine them rather successfully, is a testament to his talent. But I still found myself irritated by the constant back-and-forth (necessary to maintain suspense), and the movement in time. (For example, one chapter dealing with Crippen takes place in Dec 1910; while the preceding and following chapters outlining Marconi’s technical difficulties are taking place in 1905.) I also felt the book had way too much technical detail on the science behind Marconi’s innovations. I liked the same level of detail in Isaac's Storm … but that book was telling just one story. Here, I felt all the scientific minutiae re sound waves and length, style of antennae detracted from the Crippen case, which, for me, was the more interesting tale. If he could have pared down this kind of detail, I would probably have given it 4 stars.

If you like history that reads like a thriller, then Thunderstruck should be on your list of books to read. Much like in Devil in the White City, Larson is able to weave an amazing amount of historical fact and detail into this fascinating story of murder and intrigue from the turn of the century. We take for granted today what was little understood and even less trusted as a viable means of communication then, in the form of radio transmission and communication. Larsen masterfully places his stIf you like history that reads like a thriller, then Thunderstruck should be on your list of books to read. Much like in Devil in the White City, Larson is able to weave an amazing amount of historical fact and detail into this fascinating story of murder and intrigue from the turn of the century. We take for granted today what was little understood and even less trusted as a viable means of communication then, in the form of radio transmission and communication. Larsen masterfully places his story squarely in an era long past with story line references to Jack the Ripper,, Scotland Yard, the rise of Germany as a world power, life in London, the decline of the British Empire, Mussolini in Italy, the Titanic and a handful of other famous "great" ships and a slew of other references that really give the reader a feel for what life was like at the time. A great read that will keep you interested to the very last page. Not an easy thing to accomplish when we know how things are going to end before-hand. ...more

It's an axiom that Great Men (and, one supposes, Great Women) are Unpleasant People. Larson's treatment of Guglielmo Marconi, great-great-great grandfather of the device you're reading this on, does nothing to dispel the miasma of meanness from him. What a rotten human being! How completely insensitive, how thoroughly obsessively devoted to his own self and comfort, what a complete rotter of a businessman!

Thank you, Guglielmo, for the gifts all that human wreckage you left behind have given us aIt's an axiom that Great Men (and, one supposes, Great Women) are Unpleasant People. Larson's treatment of Guglielmo Marconi, great-great-great grandfather of the device you're reading this on, does nothing to dispel the miasma of meanness from him. What a rotten human being! How completely insensitive, how thoroughly obsessively devoted to his own self and comfort, what a complete rotter of a businessman!

Thank you, Guglielmo, for the gifts all that human wreckage you left behind have given us all. Rot in peace.

Then, at the precise opposite end of the emotional spectrum, lies the once-infamous, now largely forgotten, Dr. Hawley Crippen, who murdered his termagant of a wife (who *richly* deserved killing, being a female Marconi sans genius), so he could be with his little light-o-love. Didn't work out, needless to say, though if the Scotland Yard inspector had simply been told to go the hell away, the whole chase and capture and hanging might not have had to happen. There was no evidence of a killing, but the Inspector went on a fishing expedition in Crippen's basement--wouldn't be allowed today, not a chance!--and, well...he really did do it. Probably not alone, though....

Well, anyway, you've read The Devil in the White City and Isaac's Storm, so I needn't belabor the point that Larson has a magpie's eye for shiny things, bringing to the nest of the book a trove of odd and telling details about Edwardian London, about the nature of human relationships, about the science of radio waves as it was being discovered; most of all, he brings us characters we feel some connection to, and can really invest in. I know how the book ends before I pick it up, but I find myself wanting Crippen to get away with it and pulling for him and Ethel to make it to Canada *this time*.

They don't. Shame, that.

Wrap yourself in this big, warm greatcoat of a book that transports you back to an optimistic, doomed, bright summer afternoon of a time. It's oodles of fun, if you take it slowly and don't try to gulp it down. It's too big to swallow whole, and half the fun is setting the book down and savoring the images of this vanished world. Recommended to all but the most history-phobic....more

It's not a biography per se and it's not a memoir...but I had to stick in as a pseudo-something, since it reads more like fiction...which would have been a good thing if the writing had been better. The premise of this book is fantastic...the trans atlantic telegraph is in its infancy...untested really when it's used to track a killer across the ocean. Sounds cool, could be cool...but all I really wanted to do was read about Crippen. THAT is the interesting story. Marconi not so much. I felt likIt's not a biography per se and it's not a memoir...but I had to stick in as a pseudo-something, since it reads more like fiction...which would have been a good thing if the writing had been better. The premise of this book is fantastic...the trans atlantic telegraph is in its infancy...untested really when it's used to track a killer across the ocean. Sounds cool, could be cool...but all I really wanted to do was read about Crippen. THAT is the interesting story. Marconi not so much. I felt like the story got bogged down because Larson felt like he had to spend just as much space on Marconi as he did on Crippen. Please no! I want to get back to the killer and not read about Marconi's broken telegraph lines once again. Sum up the boring stuff and lets get back to the overbearing wife and the poor murdering chemist! I found myself really skimming the Marconi chapters...you know..just in case there was something interesting (nope no such luck), just so I could get back to Crippen's story. This really should be two separate books. Slick idea though to sell the boring story by wrapping it in a murderer chase across the ocean. I didn't finish the book because I got so bogged down in the Marconi chapters that I eventually just lost interest in reading it. Other things caught my eye and Thunderstruck just sat on my nightstand collecting dust. I finally put it back on the shelf. Maybe I'll resurrect it, if only to find out the rest of Crippen's story...I stopped just before he killed his irritating wife. ...more

This was definitely a struggle for me to get through. But I don't like to leave things undone and I like to finish what I start, so I MADE myself finish this book, even though I wanted to shoot myself in the face while reading it. The sections on wireless technology were so incredibly boring, but the parts about murder were interesting. Like his last book I read, Devil in the White City, I was left wanting more info/story on the murderous parts. Which makes me think either a) I'm a sadist, b)murThis was definitely a struggle for me to get through. But I don't like to leave things undone and I like to finish what I start, so I MADE myself finish this book, even though I wanted to shoot myself in the face while reading it. The sections on wireless technology were so incredibly boring, but the parts about murder were interesting. Like his last book I read, Devil in the White City, I was left wanting more info/story on the murderous parts. Which makes me think either a) I'm a sadist, b)murders and serial killers are just really interesting, or c) I missed my calling as a detective.

Anyway, to sum up,this book is better used as a paperweight or a weapon (since it weighs about 10 pounds) than as a form of entertainment....more

I hate the Goodreads star system. It occasionally forces me to rate books a notch lower than I would like to; nonetheless, 2 stars= "It was OK". I am typically caught up in this author's style, subjects, and can flip from one story to the next with ease. This one misses that mark although the dual narrative account of a non-fiction book are still weaved together to read more like a novel than most subject focused books. Do NOT let that deter you from reading either this book or anything else heI hate the Goodreads star system. It occasionally forces me to rate books a notch lower than I would like to; nonetheless, 2 stars= "It was OK". I am typically caught up in this author's style, subjects, and can flip from one story to the next with ease. This one misses that mark although the dual narrative account of a non-fiction book are still weaved together to read more like a novel than most subject focused books. Do NOT let that deter you from reading either this book or anything else he has written- the guy is a genius, labors in research, and writes with high intelligence but keeps it very interesting........it just wasn't as engrossing an account as his other stuff for me. ...more

Larson has a way with writing. He smartly alternates individual stories and universal history. We get to know Guglielmo Marconi, the man who invented the radio, and the hurdles he had to overcome in order to promote his technology, one of them being his own temper. While competition in the new telecommunications industry gets tougher, the reader follows a criminal case: the murder of a common, if well described, woman. A true crime novel, a business strategy handbook, and a delightful piece of hLarson has a way with writing. He smartly alternates individual stories and universal history. We get to know Guglielmo Marconi, the man who invented the radio, and the hurdles he had to overcome in order to promote his technology, one of them being his own temper. While competition in the new telecommunications industry gets tougher, the reader follows a criminal case: the murder of a common, if well described, woman. A true crime novel, a business strategy handbook, and a delightful piece of historical narrative. All in one....more

Erik Larson has a wonderful talent for developing the interest and intrigue in a story, and this book is no exception. The tale of mild-mannered-quack-turned-murderer Hawley Crippen and his unlikely marriage to the brazen Cora Turner is a case in which truth is stranger than fiction, from their improbable union through to its gruesome conclusion. Interweave this with the contemporaneous saga of Guglielmo Marconi's development of the wireless, which would ultimately contribute to Crippen's undoinErik Larson has a wonderful talent for developing the interest and intrigue in a story, and this book is no exception. The tale of mild-mannered-quack-turned-murderer Hawley Crippen and his unlikely marriage to the brazen Cora Turner is a case in which truth is stranger than fiction, from their improbable union through to its gruesome conclusion. Interweave this with the contemporaneous saga of Guglielmo Marconi's development of the wireless, which would ultimately contribute to Crippen's undoing, and you end up with a fascinating read. Highly recommended. ...more

Not one of my favorites by this author but I do admit to having really very little interest in the Marconi part of the story. His part of the story was too technical for most of the time, it just did not interest me at all. Crippen's side of the story was definitely more interesting and probably would have been more so had I not read Crippen this year as well.

Not as good as "the Devil in a white City". Parallel tales about Marconi and Hawley Crippen, whom I had never heard of before. I found some of the Marconi parts boring and I still don't know how electromagnetic waves work. I'm with the "magic" crowd. The Crippen story was interesting. I sympathized with poor guy. Did wonder why we were left hanging with Ethel's answer though.

This nonfiction title cleverly combines the work of Marconi and the story of a famous turn of the century murder. The murderer was caught thanks to the new ability to contact ships at sea. I liked it but found the detail overwhelming. At first, I read carefully thinking some of those details might be important later but then realized I could speed read the book.

I didn't find this story as engaging as Larson's others. There was too much diverse and disconnected information included in the story and the two stories weren't "zipped" together as neatly as his other stories were. I was listening to it on audio and felt like I should have been nearing the end when I was still at the beginning...

Larson has taught non-fiction writing at San Francisco State, the Johns Hopkins Writing Seminars, and the University of Oregon, and has spoken to audiences from coast to coast. He lives in Seattle with his wife, who is the director of neonatology at the University of Washington Medical Center and at Children's Hospital of Seattle, and the author of the nonfiction memoir, Almost Home, which, as Erik puts it, "could make a stone cry." They have three daughters in far-flung locations. ...more

“One night, during a storm, an engineer named W. W. Bradfield was sitting at the Wimereux transmitter, when suddenly the door to the room crashed open. In the portal stood a man disheveled by the storm and apparently experiencing some form of internal agony. He blamed the transmissions and shouted that they must stop. The revolver in his hand imparted a certain added gravity. Bradfield responded with the calm of a watchmaker. He told the intruder he understood his problem and that his experience was not unusual. He was in luck, however, Bradfield said, for he had “come to the only man alive who could cure him.” This would require an “electrical inoculation,” after which, Bradfield promised, he “would be immune to electro-magnetic waves for the rest of his life.” The man consented. Bradfield instructed him that for his own safety he must first remove from his person anything made of metal, including coins, timepieces, and of course the revolver in his hand. The intruder obliged, at which point Bradfield gave him a potent electrical shock, not so powerful as to kill him, but certainly enough to command his attention. The man left, convinced that he was indeed cured.”
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“At night thunderstorms arose often, shedding lightning that gave the terrain the pallor of a corpse. Fog would settle in for days, causing the edge of the cliff to look like the edge of the material world. At regular intervals the men heard the lost-calf moan of foghorns as steamships waited offshore for clarity.”
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